Parasite Mining Pool Strikes Again with Second Bitcoin Block

A pioneering Bitcoin mining pool, Parasite Pool, has achieved a significant milestone by mining its second block, block 945,601, on Friday, roughly 48 days after its first block at #938,713 in late February. This block contained 7,398 transactions and 0.002 BTC in fees, with Bitcoin trading at $76,213 at the time. The pool operates on a distinctive hybrid model, where the winning miner receives 1 BTC outright, and the remaining 2.125 BTC plus fees are distributed proportionally among all pool participants based on shares submitted since the previous block. Notably, there are no fees to participate in this pool, and payouts are routed through the Lightning Network. The pool's founder, ZK Shark, aims to cater to home miners, providing an alternative to the dominant industrial operators. By splitting the difference between the pure lottery approach and the pay-per-share model, Parasite Pool offers a unique solution, preserving the lottery payday while keeping satoshis flowing to participants between blocks. The pool's hashrate currently stands at 52 petahashes per second, and its proportional distribution mechanics have been validated twice. As the pattern around solo and small-pool mining continues to gain traction, Parasite Pool's hybrid model is being put to the test, with a third block within the next two months potentially solidifying its case.